Review/Comparison: NYX Tres Jolie Gel Pencil Liner

I am doing a quick review on the NYX Tres Jolie Gel Pencil Liner vs Marc Jacobs Highliner in Blacquer. For the longest time, the MJ one has been my go to for tightening and I went thru two of it. But the price of it at USD$25 is really crazy and I have been looking for an alternative for super long and I think I found it!!

I had quite a long day ahead and decided to put the two liners to test! Its crazy hot/humid in Singapore and I have oily lids so this was a good day to test it out.

Both liners were going strong in the afternoon and I was playing with my nieces and nephews and was having a crazy SWEATY day!

 Not much difference going on...

 Now, both sides of the liners are still visible but the MJ one has started to flake off.

 I took a short nap and when I woke up, the MJ one has completely flaked off. The NYX Tres Jolie is still going V V V STRONG!

Before I took a hot shower and wash everything off, the NYX one is still highly visible while my MJ one has completely rubbed/flaked off!

Well, the pictures did all the talking. The NYX one is really more worth it, right? Both weigh in at 0.5g but the MJ one costs USD$25 but the NYX one costs USD$12?!?!

Ok, hope this post helped u with the tightlining!

Love,

Pea

Pea's June Favourites 2014

Hi loves! Sorry I wasn't around for May favourites cause I was overseas and wasn't able to do it properly. But Flo's favourites were up and you can read them here

Anyway, I am back for the month of June faves so read on! I don't have a lot this past month. I have just been grabbing the same few things recently.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primers

I have own these primers since Dec'13 and a little of these do go a long way. I bought the green one because I have very thin skin and my capillaries show and I flush really easily so my face is red all the time. The other one is the colour correcting primer and I love these two.

Recently, I was very inspired by the swirly Stila primer that mixes all the colour of the primers together so I thought I'd tried mine that way too. Normally I would just apply the green on my cheeks and the other one on my t-zone. But this was has been amazingy time saving and I feel it still works the same way. Its silicon-based so it feels amazing after applying it on your skin, kinda like the Benefit Porefessional but a little less thin.

Topshop Blush [Good Girl]

So I had been on the lookout for a baby pink blue undertone blush forever and I knew I had to have this. I made Flo buy it too hahaha This gives a very baby-doll flush and looks very cute and natural. I use a small stippling brush to get a very light-hand since I am always red anyway.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer [15 Fair Clair]

I actually bought this on a whim because I was at the drugstore and wanted to buy something but I didnt know what exactly. I saw that there were only a couple of this concealer in my shade so I grabbed it. And I love it. I chucked aside my NYX HD concealer for this because I feel that this is more suitable for my shade and at the same time, the pink undertones brightened up my area. Its very thin but the coverage is awesomesauce. It does not crease or settles into my fine lines so I luvvv it. 

This was also one of my impulse buy and I don't think its available in Singapore yet but I love it. I use it DAILY because it gives me the most beautiful lashes and holds my curls the whole day. I have a review on it so you can read it here !

Bene Balm // NYX Butter Gloss [Cherry Pie]

So I have been layering these two colours for the prettiest pinkish red.

I AM AWARE IT SAYS BENETINT. SORRY its suppose to be Bene Balm!!

anyw, the Bene Balm gives my lips a slight tint of colour and moisturise it while I pop the NYX butter gloss in the middle of my lips. It creates the all-time craze now - Korean gradient lips. Both gives off a light sheen but they do not last. These are not long-lasting lipsticks so do expect the need to reapply after eating! However, they are really natural and I love the look. 

Ok, I am signing off here! See you guys soon!

Love,

Pea

Flo's May Favourites 2014!

Hello! Here to share my favourites for the month of May :) This month, I've been spending more time researching and testing out skincare products more than make up. I have also been frequently reaching back to a few make-up gems that I've loved for a long time. Here goes:

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ 

1. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

This is a brand that I've been wanting to try for a few months already! Actually I didn't really know which product to start with and I was at Sephora one day and decided to just yolo pick this up cuz it was pretty cheap (S$19 for 2.0 oz). It written that I can use this from head to toe, so I thought why not? 

That period, I was still battling with leftover dry patch from my breakout and this proved itself to be super moisturising and useful to tackle that problem! My skin is not dry anymore. One more thing that I really like is the texture. It's not too watery or too sticky, yet your skin feels moisturised. Two thumbs up for that! I also use this as a hand cream when my palms feel dry :)

I'm totally going back to Sephora to see if I can try other products from this brand. Might wanna try the facial cleanser and the oatmeal mask ^.^

2. Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins

This is another product that I've been researching on. Because of my whole forehead issue, I haven't used a proper moisturiser in my skincare routine since last Dec! That's been like 6 months? And I thought because my skin is super oily anyway, I don't need to compensate with a moisturiser. 

Boyyyyy I was so wrong! My skin is super dry on the surface and it was driving me nuts! So I slowly injected moisturiser back into my regime, starting with the FAB Ultra Repair Cream day and night. When I felt that my skin was ready, I added this into my night routine and I've really been enjoying this product :)

The smell is kinda funny.. Like a little orange-y smell. The texture is superrrr thick and creamy. That's why it is meant to be used only at night I guess. But I had my own reservations cuz the reviews online were pretty mixed. I'm glad that my skin didn't have any bad reactions to this and actually, when I wake up in the morning my skin feels very moisturised instead of just a layer of my own oil. 

3. Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation in Classic Ivory

I admit I've been neglecting this foundation since Pea got it for me from the States last year. Haha. This was another product that I've been dying to get my hands on since the youtubers raved about it eons ago. One thing about this foundation is that... It is not transfer resistant. That's why I am always kinda hesitant to use it cause it comes off very easily. 

However, the good thing is that, it smells so so so good. It is also very light on the skin and pretty moisturising. I mix this with my Estee Lauder DW foundation sometimes when I feel that it alone is too dry for my skin. The colour of this foundation is a little more to the pink side, so it evens out my skin tone when I mix it with my DW foundation since that one is a little too yellow for my liking.

4. L'oreal Infallible Shadows in Amber Rush, Hourglass Beige, Sahara Treasure

If I had to choose one favourite single shadow on the market.. This would definitely be one of the top 3!!!! I love love love the L'oreal Infallible Shadows. I wish they have all the colours in the world for this. I already own 9... A very alarming number and the most I have for single shadows. It is super shimmery, super buttery, super easy to put on the eyelids.. I can use a single colour and it is enough because it is just. that. awesome. So convenient. I like glitters and sparkles and shimmers, so this is right up my alley. Definitely not made for those who are afraid of shimmers hahaha.

This month, I've been reaching out very frequently to these 3 colours:

1. Sahara Treasure was a very old colour and one of the first few that was available in Singapore. I was dying to get my hands on these babies maybe close to 3 years ago and I searched for it in every Watsons/Guardian/everywhere that carried L'oreal products! Managed to find 3 colours and this stays as one of my favourite colours till date. 

2. Hourglass Beige came in later with the rest of the colours that are still available now. It is hands down my favourite highlight colour. Super pretty on the inner corner of the eyelids. I might be a little too obsessed with this colour, haha. 

3. Amber Rush was one of the colours I was praying for L'oreal to bring in to Singapore... But to no avail. Lol. So, I ordered it off Drugstore.com and really, no regrets!!! Such a pretty coral colour....... Brings tears to my eyes.

5. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Istanbul, Milan

Another oldie but a goodie :) I've loved this Soft Matte Lip Cream since I got my hands on them very very long time ago. Hahaha. I don't even think there was Sephora then! I got these from a local distributor a few years back and recently, I've been over-using the colour Istanbul cause it's the lip colour that can match any make-up I'm using. A true MLBB! 

I also really like the effect these lip cream give. It is matte but not drying, the colour lasts throughout the day, and the colour just suits my skin tone. Every time I want to get more, I will still pick out these two colours -_- So I always end up not getting any!!!! I might wanna get a deep red/berry colour if I chance upon it though :)

6. Innisfree Eco Nail Color Pro

This is a new addition to my nail polish collection. Never used Innisfree nail polishes before but they are so cheap ($4 per bottle), I picked up 5 colours and these 3 were the Pro versions. Another 2 were normal nail polishes I guess cuz the brush that came with those are... not as good as these! The brushes of the these taller bottles are wide and super easy to control. I also love the colour range of the polishes.. I had a hard time picking the colours!!! I get an opaque colour with two layers :) They dry very quickly as well. Hehe, really loving them.

That's all for my favourites for the month of May! Hope you've discovered as much new and old gems as I did. Have you tried any of the products above? Let us know what you think :)

♡,

Flo

Review: Solone Perfect Drawing Eyeliner

[Products are not sponsored and all reviews are honest opinions!]

This buy was a total accident.

Flo and I were hanging out at Sasa and I swatched a random eyeliner. 

That night, after I washed my hands and bathed, IT WAS STILL THERE.

And I went on a mission to find it, 

Was majorly happy when I found it haha 

I think it was the pretty packaging!

So I'm constantly on this lookout for pencil eyeliners to line my tightline 

When I lined it, it tends to touch my waterline and smudge on the lower lid. 

PANDA ALERT. Was very excited to find one that that stayed on my hand even after I bathed.

So apparently it says that the cap is topped with Swarovski Crystal. It doesn't add to my buy/no buy factors but anything shiny is always pretty. 

It also comes with a handy pink sharperner! That's pretty neat. 

Apparently, it dries within 10 seconds , is water proof and oil resistant which means you won't get any smudges whatever!

Sounds pretty much like any liners out there that promises these conditions!

So this is ONE stroke and I'm absolutely amazed by the pigment. 

I decided to try it with my other liners and do a smudge test.

I grabbed a few liners that I own and swatch it together with Solone one.

SMUDGE TEST

After ten minutes,

I rubbed all four liners at once with my thumb.

I don't know what results I was expecting but Dollywink and Étude House failed the test haha Surprisingly, NYX also held up to the smudge test!

AND SOLONE STOOD UP TO IT!

WATER TEST

So I decided to re-line the Dollywink and Etude House and do another test!

I used Mama Lemon dishwasher and simply used water to rinse it off. I just pump the soap on it and run it under the water and just lightly use my fingers to wash off the suds.

As you can see, Dollywink, NYX and Étude House failed the test BUT SOLONE IS SOME POWERFUL STUFF. But I'm impressed that Dollywink is not fully removed as well haha

Now for the final test- OIL TEST

Because everything was almost gone, I cleansed my hand with make up remover and re-line all four liners and waited 10 minutes. Then I took my L'oreal Mythic Oil for hair and rubbed it across. 

Do note that I rubbed it back and forth for about four times.

EVERYTHING WAS ALMOST GONE BUT LOOK AT SOLONE.

the smudging around it was caused by Étude house, which in my opinion, smudged the most.

FYI, I did concentrate on just Solone with the oil and rubbed it but really, aside from a little disappearance, it was not budging.

it was going strong and officially passed all my tests. So I'm gonna put it to a full day wear!

//Update

So I decided to out it to test with a minimum of 12 hours eye wear. 

I put it on at 710am so this is my freshly-applied eye 

(Sacrificing my look here hahaha but just to show you guys how the tightline looks when I first applied it and waited 5 mins for it to dry). I drew on my liquid liner as per normal after lining my tightline.

Had to rush with the mad traffic to get to Tanjong Pagar for staff meeting at 9am and then walked under the sweltering sun to get to the office at 1230pm. So this how it stood up.

Ok, my eye area look pretty good. Take note I walked under the sweltering hot sun for 15 minutes and my skin is like an oil factory. Aside from a little flaking, my liner was going strong! 

And finally at 7pm! 

As you can see, there was a little flaking off but it did not smudge on me the entire 12 full hours. I did not retouch it throughout. My oily skin kinda made my liquid liner flake off even.

For $14.90, the staying power of this eyeliner was kicking ass compared to a lot of better brands? It stayed up to its promises and it's at a really affordable price. So far, I know this product can be found at Sasa only. 

It's a definite re-purchase for me. That's for sure!

Have you tried this brand before?

Pea

x

Flo's All Time Favourites

[Products are not sponsored and all reviews are honest opinions!]

Hi everyone! This is just a brief list of my all time favourites :)

I don't really use ALL products everyday, but if I needed to, these will definitely be my go-to products. All of these products can be easily found in Singapore - Watsons, Guardian, Sephora, Smoochieez and other retailers.

My skin type: Oily/Combination, prone to blemishes and acne.
My skin concerns: Hyper pigmentation scars, clogged pores.

BASE:

Primer - Biore UV Perfect Face Milk SPF 50+/PA+++

This is my everyday staple! I need my sunscreen or I'll feel uneasy the whole day. My face gets really oily throughout the day and in Singapore, the weather doesn't help to control oil and sweat AT ALL. So this comes in handy as a base :) It is super light, doesn't feel tacky at all, doesn't leave a white cast in pictures and is super affordable!

Foundation - Skin 79 Super BB Triple Functions SPF 50+/PA+++ 

This BB cream has very, very good coverage. I also love how the colour will settle in and adjusts itself to my skin tone, leaving a dewy finish. However it's a little on the steep side for "drugstore" make up, so I usually get it from Korea or Gmarket! It lasts pretty long though, considering that I use it everyday :)

//Recently, I bought the Sunkiller BB Perfect Strong SPF 50+/PA+++ and it has the perfect sheer-medium coverage for everyday use and can be layered on when I want extra coverage! More in-depth review here.

Concealer - Maybelline Pure Mineral Concealer in 01

I love this concealer!!!! It is a little yellow/dark for me if I use it directly on bare skin, but it matches perfectly when I have foundation on! It is affordable and has a good coverage. Heavy enough for my hyper pigmentation scars, yet I don't feel like it's suffocating my spots when I have them! I tend to like liquid concealer better than cream ones, so this is perfect for me.

Powder - Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder

I used to set my face with the ZA two-way cake but I figured it was way too thick for my liking. So I switched to this one and found it pretty suitable cause it is translucent and it is very fine. I only use this to set my inner cheeks, nose and forehead to keep as much oil away as possible :D

Blusher - Benefit Hervana Face Powder

My go-to blusher that I always keep with me! I love the magical combination of pink+purple+peach, the subtle highlighter and the smell. THE SMELL OF BENEFIT'S BOXED POWDERS ARE HEAVENLY. I've already hit pan on this one :'( If I can't find a better one, I'll most probably repurchase this!

EYES:

Primer - Urban Decay Original Primer Potion

This is another product I cannot live without. My face is a huge oil producer and my lids are not an exception. Without this primer, I will go around with smudged eyeshadow and eyeliner (what's the point of smudged make up, really). I use this even when I line a thin line on my eyelid for school/errands - THIS IS HOW RELIANT I AM ON IT. Never tried other primers and most probably won't!

Eyeshadow - Naked Palette

This was my first eyeshadow palette, and it's still my favourite :) That says a lot right? Haha. All the colours, and yes I mean every single one, can be used on a daily basis and are super versatile! The pigmentation is awesome, just a little dab and I can get very saturated colour on my lids. My fav colours - Sin, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Toasted, and Gunmetal. I might as well name every colour in the palette hahaha.

Eyeliner - Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner in Black

Hands down my favourite. I love the brush, I love the consistency, I love how black it is, I love how it doesn't flake off, I love the packaging. This is my most repurchased item, I have 6 of them now. 4 empties, 1 currently using and 1 brand new \m/

Mascara - Heroine Make Long & Curl Mascara + Heroine Make Volume & Curl Mascara

The combination of these 2 mascaras is the bomb. I will put a layer of the Long & Curl and then a layer of Volume & Curl afterwards. Super waterproof, holds my curl, gives extra length and volume. My favourite combination, ever!!!!!!!!!

Eyebrow - NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder

I prefer eyebrow powder over pencil on a day-to-day basis. They're less-harsh and way easier to use! This colour is perfect for my hair. I use the lighter on the first 1/3 and the darker colour to define the end of my brows :)

LIPS:

Lip balm - Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Velvet

I love all baby lips! But I have a weakness for Cherry flavour so I keep this around with me.

Lip stick - Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 001 Honey / Maybelline NeoNude Color Sensational Lipstick in NEO6 Sheer Rose

These two lip products are my two MLBB (my lips but better), the Revlon one runs a little towards the red side while the Maybelline one gives my lips a pinker hue. I love both and these happen to be the two I reach out most from my other lip products! They are very moisturising, tho needs to be reapplied quite often, but I'd rather that than lipsticks drying out my lips. And they are very subtle but gives the perfect everyday colour :)

Ok! Phew, we've finally reached the end of this post. Do let me know what are some of your all-time favourite products :) If you have any enquiries or need more info about any of the products above, don't hesitate to e-mail us at twovainpots@gmail.com!

xx,
Flo♡

Pea's Everyday All-time Faves

[Products are not sponsored and all reviews are honest opinions!]

Hi! Pea here! I'll be showing you guys my go-to products for a everyday look. I don't normally use all of it daily because i am a heck of a lazy girl who loves makeup.  

We'll do up another post for makeup for formal events!

I have combination to slightly oily skin and my main concerns are uneven skin tone and old scars and some hormonal zits. I also have really thin skin so I turn flushed/red really easily. 

Ok so these are the products.

(It looks a lot but it really isn't) 

I prime my face using DRx non-tinted physical sunscreen (SPF30) and then the Laneige Snow BB Soothing Cushion in Natural Beige.

(Ok I admit, when I'm lazy I just use sunscreen and concealer)

I absolutely love the dewy glow and ever since I switched my facial products, I don't need to worry about shine much! The sunscreen gives me a very lovely shine which I absolutely love cause it makes me feel very glowy. haha
For the BB cream, the coverage is really minimal and it serves to correct my skin tone. I don't like the feel of 'heaviness' so this is really perfect for an entire day at work because it is so light.

S$59.90

I cannot express my love for this concealer. I use it in shade 01 which is the lightest. 

It's not too thick, it lasts the entire day, it matches my skin tone (when it's not red)

S$14.90

Next up would be my eyes! 

I never know the importance of eye primers until I got introduced to E.L.F eye primer. 

My oil lids are even oilier than my t-zone and this eye primer has the lasting power of up to 8 hours. 

If I'm not too lazy, I use Urban Decay Naked Basics to 'powder' my eyelids and keep it matte. 

Price varies but I got it for $6 at Smoochiezz warehouse

I switch between Heroine Make Smooth Liquid Eyeliner and Dollywink Liquid eyeliner. 

It's quite hard to find the Dollywink one sometimes and the Heroine one is just as good! 

It starts to wear at around the 8th hour? unless I forget and start rubbing my eyes which just causes it to wear off. I love that it doesn't budge and leave me with weird black smudges around my eyelids. 

I use Covergirl Length and Covergirl Volume blast. They are my holy grail mascaras and I've finished about three tubes each alr. I basically layered the length over the volume. They are non-clumpy and that's awesome because I cannot stand 'spider legs'. 

Heroine Make Smooth Eyeliner: S$18.90

Covergirl mascaras: Price unknown cause it was bought for me from the States!

Whew, this is getting long. 

ok, let's continue this. 

For blusher, I actually gravitate towards a bunch of brands but The Balm in Downboy is a super light pink which gives me a nice simple flush. 

S$29.90
My other everyday blushes include M.A.C Pink O Peach, NYX PB05 Pinky, Catrice Think Pink and The Balm Instain Houndstooth

M.A.C: $21

N.Y.X: $10

Catrice: S$7.90

The Balm: S$27.80

Lips! 

Ok trust me, I'm almost done.

I like having nude, brickish lip colors so Maybelline in Warm Me Up, Revlon Kissable Just Bitten Lip Stain in Honey and Catrice in 030 Ginger and Fred are my everyday colors. 

Maybelline: $17.90

Revlon: $18.90

Catrice: $7.90

(I just realize all my lipsticks are of somewhat the same shade haha!)

and, ending off with my face!

I take about..20 mins every morning? Which is not too bad, IMHO. 

Before/After!

I know you cant really see a difference and that is the whole point.

I just like to even out my skintone and keep it simple. 

This is taken with my iPad and I will start using my camera more to give you guys better quality pictures! 

-promise

But I did not use any filter on this and its taken right outside my house with all the natural lighting possible. So there you go!! 

If you guys want us to review any specific item regarding our everyday products, feel free to drop us a mail at twovainpots@gmail.com and we will do up a post!

Till the next review,

Pea 

x